WATER, GRAY WATER FILTERS, LATRINES & STOVES

Background

Behrhorst Partners for Development (BPD) has been working in over 60 communities of San Martin Jilotepeque, Chimaltenango, Guatemala, since 2002, helping to train community-chosen people as traditional birth attendants, health promoters, village dispensary managers and keepers for overseeing use of medical emergency transportation funds.  Their training has been focused on maternal and child health. 

In order to address some of the basic causes of poor health in these areas, over the last two years we have expanded our efforts to help the villagers address basic sanitation-water systems, gray-water filters and latrines-in order to help prevent the constant diarrhea that afflict the population, particularly children, and make the child mortality rate one of the highest in Latin America.  We are also helping to provide fuel-efficient stoves, which use less than 1/3 the firewood than traditional open air fires, prevent burns, and vent the smoke outside the house, thereby helping to prevent upper respiratory problems which are the number one killer of children in Guatemala.

Beneficiaries

Chiraminez, the community that would benefit from this proposal is located 18km. over a poor-quality, unpaved road from the county seat of San Martin Jilotepeque, and38km. from the Dept. (State) capital of Chimaltenango. It has a population of 288 inhabitants (48 families). There is public transportation only on market days (two days a week); at other times people who need to go into town or return home must hope that a pickup truck will pass and let them climb aboard.  The people there work primarily in agriculture-a few on their own land and many on rented land.  Some work as day laborers on other farms, receiving $4.50/day.  Few can grow enough crops to sell.  The major crops of corn and beans are primarily for the family's consumption.  Some are Catholics, some are evangelicals, but all are respectful of the Mayan practices of their ancestors.

Request

The request is for a gravity-fed water system, gray-water filters, and a vented, improved pit latrine for each household (the latter two components to help ensure the continuing good quality of the community's water).  If money permits, we are also requesting funding for Onil stoves for 75% of the families who wish them.

Water

Currently the community suffers from a lack of water in their homes.  The women and children must walk 35 minutes each way to gather water from small springs or, in the dry season when these springs dry up, they must go father, either to more distant springs or to a river which, like 98% of Guatemalan surface water, is contaminated.  The community purchased land that has a water spring on it.  A study the Municipal government paid to have done indicates that the well will supply 150 liters of water/person/day, which is within the range for this climate as determined by the World Health Organization.  The average supply will be 30 liters/minute. The Municipal government. has also paid to have the water source lined to help preserve it.  The community has sought additional technical and financial help from the Municipality of San Martin Jil. and other government and non-profit organizations, but to date have not received the needed financial support. 

The total budget for the project is $19,560.  We are seeking $14,975 to buy construction materials for the following:

·          Catchment tank near the site of the spring, and the distribution/storage tank, pressure relief boxes, air valves, cement, iron, sand, gravel, wire;

·           PCV pipes to carry water from the catch tank to the storage tank, and from there to the 48 houses, with one spigot at each house.

·           PVC pipe of 250 PSI and 160 PSI, 2" diameter to carry water from the well site to the distribution tank; a total length of 7,660 meters.

·          PVC pipe of various diameters, PSI of 160, 250, and 315, for a total length of 4860 meters, to go from the distribution tank to 48 homes, each one with its own connection.

The remainder of the budget will be covered by the Municipality and the community itself. 

As part of the water project, the Municipality will provide 10 seedlings per family (pine and cedar) for each family to plant and care for, particularly around the water sources.  BPD will provide education about the use and management of water for human consumption.

Gray-Water Filters

BPD has observed that in providing water at one faucet per home, we have created a problem of standing water around the "pila" (the place, usually outdoors, where dishes and laundry are washed), which can increase diseases.  Together with a Peace Corps Volunteer working in appropriate technology, we have created a gray-water filter to be built behind each "pila".  It consists of a hole 2-3 meters deep with a diameter of 90 cm., and a cement cover with a "breathing hole" in it.  The used waters go down via a short drain into materials (gravel and sand) which collect the soap and grease from the water.  This water then flows out into the ground, or can be reused to water fruit or coffee trees or animal forage, thus avoiding concentrations of dirty water.

Cost of construction materials for 48 gray-water filters: $1,440.

Improved Vented Pit Latrines

The communities want to improve sanitation and avoid diarrhea, especially among small children, via construction of vented pit latrines, so they do not have to meet their necessities in the open air near the house.  The latrine consists of a hole dug 5 meters deep and 85 cm. diameter, a 1 m. cement slab over it with a place to sit and a hole, concrete block walls and roof of corrugated metal with a PVC tube to serve as an aerator to avoid bad odors.

Cost of construction materials for 48 latrines $2,944.

TOTAL REQUESTED FOR THE THREE SANITATION COMPONENTS: $ 19,359

Commitments of each of the parties:

The villagers will:

1. Provide locally-available materials (wood, sand, rocks) for the 3 projects mentioned above;
2. Provide the unskilled labor (they've made a schedule of shifts for people to dig the trenches, place the pipes, construct the distribution tank), calculated at Q35/day for 40 people working 40 days for a total value of Q56,000, or $7,466).  Each family will dig its own holes for the gray water filter and the latrine. 
3. Plant and care for the trees, especially around the water springs to help preserve them.
4. Each family will contribute to a fund to be used for maintenance of the water system.
5. Create a list of volunteers to constantly monitor the water system.
6. Organize the community to receive educational talks about proper home water use, as well as the gray water filter and the latrine, the importance of conserving the environment and the forests;
7. Conduct visits to different homes to ensure all 3 components of the project are being used properly.

The Municipality of San Martin Jilotepeque will provide:

1. Skilled labor and supervision of the community workers, for an estimated cost of $4,354.
2. 480 seedlings to the village (10 per family) for reforestation. $231

Behrhorst Partners for Development will:

1. Seek funds to carry out the project;
2. Support the community's organization to carry out the project and will supervise the various components;
3. Oversee the proper use and transparency of the donor's funds, which will pass through BPD's accounting system;
4. Ensure that each participant abides by its commitments;
5. Oversee the carrying out of the project, supporting the families and the different participating institutions;
6. Conduct the educational component about: management of water for home use, prevention of diarrhea diseases, family nutrition, birth spacing, environmental preservation; use of used water to improve home gardens or fruit trees, as well as the care and maintenance of the latrines.

Onil Stoves

To complete the projects needed for this community BPD is seeking $3,960 with which to pay the major portion of an Onil stove for the estimated 36 families that want them and will do their part.  Each family needs to put in the equivalent of $14 (the equivalent of 3 days' wages) plus buy and transport the 11 concrete blocks the stove sits on.  They also need to attend two training sessions and permit BPD staff and visitors to come into their homes to ensure the stoves are being used and properly maintained. 

To supplement the investment of these significant resources, BPD as part of its job will provide extensive training in nutrition, including help in school and home vegetable gardens, as well as educational talks about family planning and birth spacing.  Without these two components, it will take decades longer for the communities to show significant improvement in their health.  In Guatemala over 50% of children suffer from malnutrition.